A blog for authors, about authors, written by an author
Dear future participants of the 2nd Halloween Poem Contest,
Please keep in mind that the Deadline for submission your poem will be
October 31, 09.00 pm Central Standard Time
This means, you only got a few more days! I’m posting once again the rules, the Deadline and the prizes, the poets of the three best poems can win:
Every author and poet are invited to participate and deliver a “Halloween-Poem” to my email address: aurorajean.alexander@aol.com, together with their picture (and, if possible, a link to their website and/or blog).
There are a few rules to follow:
Every poem that meets the rules and is delivered within the deadline will be published here on “Writer’s Treasure Chest” together with the provided picture (and, if possible, link).
The contest starts October 10, 2016 06.00 am and ends October 31, 2016 09.00 pm Central Standard Time!!
Please, deliver your poem and your picture to my email address within this time frame, neither earlier, nor later. Poems arriving outside these 3 weeks will be disqualified.
There will be three winners in the 1st Halloween poem contest. Each of them is free to choose from the following prizes:
I’m very grateful for these excellent authors to offer one of their books as a prize in this contest. Thank you!
We’re looking forward to your poems! Write away, ladies and gentlemen, we are ready!
A. J. Alexander
Marmalade’s First Christmas
A Novella
By
Paula Millhouse
Congratulations to Paula Millhouse on the release of
Marmalade’s First Christmas!
Be sure to get your Copy Today!
When billionaire Jake Simons rescues a kitten the week before Christmas, the orange tabby cat leads Jake to the greatest gift of the season – Veterinarian Marley West.
The last thing Marley needs is a client meddling in her personal business, but Old Man Winter, Mother Nature, and Jake’s pregnant mares have other plans for her holiday. When she gets snowed in with Jake during the worst blizzard in racehorse country, sparks fly.
But will Jake be strong enough to let go of ghosts from his past? And, in this friends-to-lovers story, will Marley learn to trust that Jake just might be her very own Christmas miracle?
Jake woke to an empty bed, and he startled up. Where was she? He tugged on a pair of sweats and a shirt, and left the bedroom searching for her.
What he found both surprised and pleased him.
“You’re up early,” she said, grinning at him with that breathtaking smile. She was sitting on the cushions in front of the fire, sipping a mug of something warm, reading one of his mother’s old romance novels. Marmalade was purring on her lap, and the Christmas Tree, the only other light besides the crackling fire lit up the room. “I found hot chocolate in the kitchen,” Marley said.
Jake took the mug and sniffed it. “Oh, this won’t do. Give me a sec and I’ll make you something amazing.”
He got up to go make the drinks, and Marley followed him. She watched him like a hawk as he simmered heavy cream, cinnamon sticks, and carved a big block of dark chocolate. “The secret is in not letting the cream reach a full boil.” He turned to the pantry and pulled out a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream. “And Baileys, of course.”
He poured the steaming elixir into big cheerful Snowman Mugs, added a shot of the liqueur, and then stirred a striped red and white candy cane in each mug. “Merry Christmas.”
She took one sip, and her eyes rolled back in her head. “Oh, Holy Night, this is incredible.”
He laughed, and sipped his cup too. “Pretty tasty.”
“I love this time of year, you know. It’s as if this one week, everything is perfect. Unblemished. Full of possibilities.”
She had a chocolate mustache from the drink, and he reached in and touched her upper lip. “You got a little something right there…”
She giggled. He swiped his tongue across the chocolate on her lips. He groaned. Her soft full lips tasted even better with chocolate on them. “This is turning out to be my favorite week this year too.”
She blushed, and her whole face turned holly berry red. Her delicately curved neck too. He took the mug from her hands, set it down, and backed her up to the granite counter. He kissed her properly, thoroughly, deeply.
She sighed, so he knew he’d gotten it right. The tingly taste of peppermint and chocolate on her tongue instantly became his favorite new treat. “Mmm…”
The kitchen heated up with their kisses, but a few moments later she pulled away and said, “We should go check on the mares, and their babies.”
Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY2AGJ5
Barnes & Noble Nook Book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marmalades-first-christmas-paula-millhouse/1124816981?ean=2940156901173
All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-marmaladesfirstchristmas-2141423-149.html
KOBO eBooks: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/marmalade-s-first-christmas
Add to your Goodreads list here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32485982-marmalade-s-first-christmas
I write books.
Books where romance, fantasy, and suspense collide.
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, where Spanish moss whispers tales in breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, as a child I soaked in the sunshine and heritage of cobblestones, pirate lore, and stories steeped in savory mysteries of the South. I graduated with honors from both Armstrong Atlantic State University, and Georgia Southern University.
I live in the mountains now with my husband, but honor my southern heritage as a storyteller by sharing high heat adventures in romance fiction with readers.
What’s in it for you?
A reward. Treat yourself to an entertaining diversion from your daily routine by reading my stories. You’ll find themes like, justice does exist, love is worth fighting for, and happily ever afters are expected.
Welcome!
Please introduce yourself.
I’m Paula Millhouse, and I write stories where romance, fantasy, and suspense collide. Do visit my website for more about me.
At the age of 13. My friends and I used to exchange stories on the way to class.
I’ve always loved stories. Getting my romances out there to people who need to read them motivates me.
I write romance. I’ve dabbled in fantasy romance, romantic suspense, and now contemporary romance. I love Happy Ever Afters, with smart heroines and sexy heroes – that’s what made me choose the genre – or did it choose me?
My goal is to bring joy to my readers. I want to entertain them for a few hours, take them out of their day, and give them a feel-good escape from reality. I think every writer dreams of the New York Times – when I get there I want it to be because I gave my readers stories they love, and share with their friends.
The only way to deal with writer’s block is to write through it. Pinterest helps. Nature. Listening to music. But all these things are distractions – if you’re blocked, your story needs you more than ever.
Join your national organization – for romance it’s Romance Writers of America. Take some classes. Find some writer friends. And write your stories!
Visit my website for more information on all my stories.
Thank you for being my guest. It was such a pleasure to have you here!!
Thank you for having me today, and featuring Marmalade’s First Christmas! I hope your readers enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B006991RF8
My Newsletter: https://paulamillhouse.com/paula-millhouse-books-newsletter/
Website https://www.paulamillhouse.com
Blog https://www.paulamillhouse.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/pmillhouse
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/paulamillhousefans
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PaulaMillhouse.Author
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5398221.Paula_Millhouse
GooglePlus https://plus.google.com/+PaulaMillhouse/posts
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/pmillhouse/boards/
You Tube https://youtu.be/q2FCU-gJPog
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Secret Realm Book Reviews & Services
Your Animal Side by Angela Kay
I hear everyone has an animal side.
What is yours?
What is mine?
No one can really know for sure.
Could it be repulsive in the dark, silent night?
Save me from this frightening thought.
I saw a creature enter my room last night.
Could it be what I think?
This is not a story because I saw it.
As horrifying as it is, I believe I saw your animal side.
It’s not ordinary.
Do you want to know what it is?
I saw a big shadow on the wall.
The eyes were blood red in the mirror.
I saw gruesome fangs.
The creature howled at the round moon
And tore into my soft, clean flesh.
I fought back, teeth sharp and hungry
Our animal side has gotten the better of us.
Written by Kevin Morris
Walking through the churchyard on Halloween.
A peaceful scene
With only my dog and the dead
(the latter inspire no dread),
To provide company as I stroll home
Alone?
A russle in the bushes.
My heart rushes,
It’s irregular beat
Out of time with my feet.
I would be a fool
To conjure up some ghoul
Would I not?
Yet this is a graveyard plot …
My pace quickens
As the darkness thickens.
Soon
The moon
Will disappear.
My home is near.
Why this fear
Of shadows of the mind?
I can find
No logical reason
For my brain’s treason.
It is our own kind
Not the rotten dead
That should ingender dread
In the rational man’s head.
With all that said
I long to be alone
In my brightly lit home …
A very helpful article to self-publishing authors. Keep consistency in your name!
In my travels through various online ebook outlets and Goodreads, I have noticed more and more instances of somepotential sales losing tendencies.
When uploading your books and details, please ensure that your authors name is always EXACTLYthe same across ALL your books, unless you intended to reinvent yourself.
In the case of Goodreads, you may find some of your books listed on another author(s) page(s).
In the case of Amazon, they will appear under a general list, with a seemingly different author’s name, and will not be included with your authors page(s) – unless you have claimed them as yours – especially if you have these on Amazon UK & USA (recommended minimum author pages properly completed)
Let me give you some examples using my own…
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Careful, Money-Trap!
I didn’t know using song lyrics in a manuscript would cost this much! Please read carefully if you have planned to mention lyrics of a song in your story!
Originally posted as the Dun Writin’—Now Whut? series on this blog, EDITING 101 is a weekly refresher series for some of you and brand new for others.
You’ve just written the most perfect restaurant love scene imaginable. As your two main characters unite on the dance floor, the haunting strains of “Unchained Melody” play in the background. The lovers gaze deeply into each other’s eyes as the song’s lyrics pass through their ears, melding their souls together in acoustical rapture:
“Oh, my…”
Wait! Stop! Halt!! Turn off the radio, unplug the phonograph, and disconnect your online radio station! Are you crazy? Are you looking for a lawsuit?
<Author looks around incredulously>
“Who, me? Now what does this woman want me to do? Eliminate the perfect words from this scene?”
Yep, that’s exactly what I want you to do. You’re not…
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Colleen Chesbro provides us with the information about “Glamour Magazine’s $5,000 Essay Contest. Thank you very much Colleen!
Jo Robinson from LitWorldInterview once more provides us with excellent and helpful tips for self publishing. This time it’s the page numbering! Thank you Jo!! We are grateful for all your informative work!
When numbering the pages of your paperback manuscript, the thing quite a lot of Indies have trouble with is that they use Page Breaks rather than Section Breaks. A Page Break is just that—starting a new page within the same section of a book. With a Section Break you can have totally different numbers and Headers and Footers for each section. The way to ensure that your numbering doesn’t bounce back from the first chapter of your book to the front matter is to get rid of all the Page Breaks in first pages and replace them with Section Breaks.
Section Break after title page, and again after the table of contents, and every other page you have in your front matter.
Then double click into your Headers and Footers up to and including the first page of your first chapter, and unlick Link to Previous. This will ensure that…
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Part 4 of the “interactive” ghost story. Use the link to connect to F. E. Feeley’s blog and tell him how you like the story to continue!
Okay, so this is it. Part 4 of The Tree. This is the point where you THE READER start to tell me what you think of the story and where you think it should go. Remember, if your suggestion is chosen, I will send you a free copy of the book in whatever format it comes out in. Without further ado….
The Tree
Chapter 4
“Who’s all going to be there?” Erik asked as he turned down his sister’s radio. Currently, Adele was lamenting about when she had been young. His sister was pointing at cars they drove passed and singing at them off-key to make Erik laugh. And he chuckled a couple of times, but his sister’s usually pristine singing voice was cracking and pitching like an old rusty door and it was making Erik nervous.
“Just him and his brothers, I think. I didn’t ask. Why?” She looked…
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The Tree – A ghost Story, written by F. E. Feeley jr. – What a story! Help him write it – suggest how it ends! Just follow the link!
Welcome back to part 3 of The Tree. I hope you are liking the story so far. You may have noticed that there are some errors and misspellings around but that’s only because this is as raw a manuscript as it gets. All the editing, formatting etc. will all come later on. But I do hope you are enjoying the story thus far. So, without further ado – The Tree – Part 3 .
Chapter 3
The house was relatively quiet at two fifty-two in the morning. The large hallways of the colonial house sat dark, save for the green light from the microwave and the tick tock of an old clock above the entry way to the kitchen. Moon glow filtered in through the windows. The only noise that could be heard was Mr. Rhodes deep snoring that echoed through the entire first floor. Upstairs, one bare leg out…
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